Alanna Most Tightrope wrote: » I haven't read the whole thread but have seen the anger on the first page. Teachers don't bother me but I will say one thing - the optics of a strike will look bad for teachers as they will be compared to other public sector workers and not favourably. My wife is a HSE radiographer and deals with suspect Covid and confirmed Covid cases every day. She gets fully gowned up and goes into isolation rooms with a colleague to carry out portable x-rays on confirmed patients. She has carried out CT scans to confirm Covid on patients and all the usual duties as well. The public I think will remember what some public sector staff did during this crisis and continue to do every day. With luck common sense can prevail in the ASTI.
The Belly wrote: » thats what early retirement is for and there will be lots of it .
Treppen wrote: » So you reckon a pregnant woman with an underlining medical condition should just retire?
is_that_so wrote: » Is this really the most sensible approach in the middle of a pandemic? What happened to talking and engaging?
Bubbaclaus wrote: » What are they doing in other professions? Genuine question.
Treppen wrote: » Genuine answer, I don't work in other professions.
Bubbaclaus wrote: » Would it not be good to check that out then? To see how other professions are getting on with working during the pandemic without calls for strike action? See what they have done?
Treppen wrote: » Ya I'll go out with my clipboard first thing Monday mate.
Bubbaclaus wrote: » You appear to be pretty wound up, I asked a genuine question and got 2 snarky responses from you as a result. Think I'm going to leave you at it. Have a good Sunday.
The Belly wrote: » Time to buckle down and get on with it
Bubbaclaus wrote: » Perhaps people in all professions, with underlying health conditions, that are not comfortable with returning to work can be put on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, with their jobs protected until such time the pandemic has ended or they feel comfortable returning. Seems like a fair compromise for all involved. Nobody would be forced back to work if they are uncomfortable with it.
rainbowtrout wrote: » Well if you go into any shop or business in the last few months, you've probably had to queue to get into a large number of these places, particularly the ones that have a lot of customers like supermarkets etc. There is plenty of space that you can avoid other shoppers. I've been into numerous shops in the town I live in that have a similar size space to my lab (or bigger) and the general thing is that only 2-5 people are allowed on the shop floor at any one time. On the other hand, I am teaching in a room 49 sq metres (or thereabouts - the size of an average classroom according to the Dept of Education) and I have 24 students in it, plus me. It doesn't take a maths genius to see the huge anomaly here. Also in a shop people are on the move around the shop and you're not likely to be in any close contact with another person for more than a few seconds. We have students sitting stationary for 40 minutes at a time. Repeated throughout the day. If sitting 1m apart in a classroom is fine for students for 6 hours a day, then why is the Convention Centre rented out to serve as the Dail for the last couple of months? Surely they can sit 1m apart in Dail Eireann at no extra risk. It's not like many of them turn up at any given time anyway. My school had a case this week, HSE said no further testing needed, student only has casual contacts in the school. Stephen Donnelly wasn't feeling well earlier this week, Dail was adjourned and he was tested and had the result within hours. I know what this looks like to the public who love to hate teachers, but is it so unreasonable to expect a basic level of safety in our job? That is what the proposed strike action is about.
rainbowtrout wrote: » My school had a case this week, HSE said no further testing needed, student only has casual contacts in the school. Stephen Donnelly wasn't feeling well earlier this week, Dail was adjourned and he was tested and had the result within hours.
Bubbaclaus wrote: » It appears the only 2 solutions to the issue of space you bring up are: 1. Close the schools until the pandemic is over or the country has had sufficient time to build classrooms in every school large enough for adequate social distancing (not viable imo) 2. Have all schooling as remote from home until pandemic is over. Neither option is great. But I don't see any other option if the issue is too many people in one room?
rainbowtrout wrote: » I ...Between staff and students there are about 500 people in the building I work in during the day, yet there is a restriction of 50 people going to a GAA match of which most of that is the players and coaches etc, in an open air ground where there is plenty of opportunity to keep your distance. ...
beauf wrote: » What % it kids in the age range you are teaching get covid? Those that get it what % get it in school. How many teachers have got it in school. They don't seem to give out those statistics. But if they did you think it would ease people's concerns. Or at least make them have an informed opinion. If a kid gets in and no one in their class has it then it suggests they didn't get it in school. Etc. Thus far when someone in a class gets it, it a school it doesn't seem to spread any further. As they let the classes and school go back to work. Like wise in kids sports GAA etc. It's hard to make an informed opinion without information, or give an informed comment. I hope the unions are well informed enough about this to act on it appropriately.
rainbowtrout wrote: » I would agree that neither option is great. Some form of half in, half out might work in some situations, but it is incredibly frustrating to see people pile into threads such as this one with 'teachers are always whinging, why can't they just get on with their jobs like the rest of the public sector' type attitudes. We do want to do our jobs, but it would be nice if some basic safety precautions were put in place. Between staff and students there are about 500 people in the building I work in during the day, yet there is a restriction of 50 people going to a GAA match of which most of that is the players and coaches etc, in an open air ground where there is plenty of opportunity to keep your distance. This is taken from the Level 2 guidelinesUp to 50 people can attend controlled indoor gatherings in pods or groups of up to six for business, training events, conferences, theatres, cinemas and other arts events - Up to 100 people are permitted in larger venues with social distancing and one-way systems My school (and I would say the vast majority of schools) does not meet these guidelines. These are the Level 5 guidelines People will be asked to stay home except to exercise within five kilometres of home - No gatherings other than attending funerals or weddings - Attendance at a wedding ceremony or reception remains at six guests - Attendance at funerals reduced to 10 mourners - Wet pubs can only offer takeaway or delivery service - Schools, creches and universities will remain open For all the non teachers posting here, can you please explain what it is you think ASTI have a problem with here??? Level 5 (if it happens anywhere) is a return to April style lockdown, but schools remain open? No gatherings of any sort (except funerals/weddings of 6/10) but we can have hundreds of students/staff in a school every day???? It does not make sense.
Bubbaclaus wrote: » It's about ensuring the country still has a minimal amount of function in all the key areas. Also remaining open at level 5 would be hospitals, grocery stores, garda stations, post offices, nursing homes, public transport, GPs, pharmacy, fire stations etc etc. So it is about ensuring that the vital resources in the country continue to function at all times.
rainbowtrout wrote: » None of those services are crowding 500 people into a building at once though. Nursing homes and hospitals which probably have the most people in them have restrictions such as no visitors. Not comparing like for like at all. Most of the rest have some queuing system in operation.
